


An Affair to Remember

by ZoeSong



Series: Paris Summit [2]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Empire State Building - Freeform, Eventual Romance, F/M, New York City, New York Fashion Week, Rolisla, Sleepless in Seattle, an affair to remember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 01:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12784362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeSong/pseuds/ZoeSong
Summary: It’s Fashion Week in NYC, and Gisla has been in a fever getting her spring line ready for its big debut. After the big show, she receives flowers from a mysterious stranger. Or is he a stranger?





	An Affair to Remember

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lauredessine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauredessine/gifts).



> Unusually, this was written rather quickly and with little research. So any errors as to how the fashion world works or opening and closing times is to be chalked up to the sake of fanfic fun. Much of the research that I do have is owing to the very kind assistance of UnderTheSkyline, who also gave me helpful feedback and encouragement. 
> 
> This is also a belated birthday gift to Lauredessine. Bon anniv!

~~

 

It was Fashion Week in New York, and Gisla’s new spring line had made its debut – and seemed to have made a splash. Now the press was hovering around, waiting for interviews. Gisla was overwhelmed by this initial success. She was repairing her make-up to go to the first interview when her assistant came in with a huge flower arrangement. There had been other congratulatory bouquets, but this one was different, a living plant. 

“Who is that one from?” A suspicion grew in her mind.

“A very tall guy with dark brown hair and a beard. He was very handsome. He asked if he could see you.”

A pang of longing shot through Gisla. It had to be Rollo. But why hadn’t he contacted her in all these months? She had a full docket of interviews – she couldn’t stop to see him now. And why should she? All these months and he was only contacting her now?

“Well, tell him thanks, but I don’t have time to see him now. Maybe after the interviews.” If even that. She was still rather miffed that he hadn’t called or texted in all that time.

“Are you sure? He is really cute.” Irma gave her a sly smile. “He has a man bun.”

Gisla rolled her eyes. Irma was incorrigible. Gisla shook her head. “I will be late. I can’t keep Bazaar and Vogue waiting, can I?” 

Irma shook her head, tut-tutting. “All right, but you might miss out.” She disappeared in a swirl of her flowing striped skirt. 

The next two hours were a whirlwind of interviews and photo opps. Gisla was excited to see so much interest in her line – and she even got an offer from another fashion house to do a line for them. When Irma finally got back to her, she realized she had completely forgotten about Rollo.

“He said he would wait for you – at the top of the Empire State Building. Until it closes.”

“What? He’s not here? I can’t go rushing off to the Empire State Building. Is he crazy?”

“Crazy for you, maybe.” Irma’s eyebrows raised suggestively. “But he said he has to leave tomorrow and hadn’t seen the building, so he would meet you there.”

“Did he leave a number?”

“He said it was on the card.”

“What card?”

“On the flowers.”

They went to look. There was no card. 

Irma looked stricken. “Oh, no, it must have fallen!”

“Oh well, don’t worry about it. He never called me anyway. It’s strange that he even came tonight.” Gisla was intrigued though. Why _did_ he come tonight – and get her flowers – when he hadn’t been in touch all those months? 

“But you should go and meet him! It would be so romantic, to meet at the Empire State Building.” 

Gisla sighed. “You’ve been watching too many films.” And she had no intention of rushing over there in all the traffic only to probably miss him. Or get run over by a car. She’d seen that movie too. 

“Ah, but he did go to all that trouble to come here and bring the flowers. You should go. I’ll arrange a car.” Irma dashed out before Gisla could stop her. 

“You won’t get anything at this time of night! Everyone is out running around now!” Gisla called after her.

Gisla sat in her staging room and stared at the flowers. They were beautiful. And he’d remembered what kind they were – hydrangeas, just like the gorgeous overpriced ones they’d seen and admired in the window of the florist shop in Paris. Where had he even found them during all this craziness of Fashion Week and at this time of year?

Irma came running back in. “I can’t get a car! Everything seems to be booked. I must have tried a dozen services – the last guy just laughed at me!”

“I could have told you that. Don’t worry about it.” They had a van coming in the morning to pick up the clothes and them; they’d be staying right here at the hotel. “Let’s just go up and get something to eat. I’m starving.”

Irma’s face fell. “Are you sure? I can call Hal. He’d drive you, I’m sure of it.”

“That’s really sweet, but it would take him forever to battle all that traffic here. Thanks, though.” Gisla knew that Irma’s boyfriend would do anything Irma asked him to do, but this was too much. Especially when Gisla wasn’t sure.

So she turned her attention to getting things put away and packed up for tomorrow’s exit. Irma helped her sadly. “Aren’t you even curious?”

Gisla shook her head and kept working. But it was a lie – she realized that she really was curious. They worked for a while and finally it got the better of her. “All right, I guess I’ll go.”

“Yay! I’ll get your coat!”

“But there is so much to do.”

“I’ll do it! Don’t worry! I’ll stay up all night if I have to.” Irma really was a sweet girl – she wanted everyone to be as happy as she was with Hal. Now she gave Gisla another sly look. “The observation deck is open until 2:00 a.m. – you might be up all night yourself.”

Gisla resisted rolling her eyes. “Why don’t you call Hal to come help you. You can use the hotel room for the rest of the night. I’ll go back to my place afterwards. It’s closer.”

Irma grinned, then grabbed Gisla’s coat off the rack and helped her on with it. “Have fun!”

“We’ll see – Thanks!” Gisla made her way out to the street. Even at this late hour the traffic was thick. She looked in vain for a cab. Finally she decided to take the subway.

It was crowded too, but she squeezed into a car and tried not to be too disgusted at the drunk who staggered into her before he wandered on. At least the subway here was as efficient as the Metro.

Or not. The train stopped and was delayed for several minutes. Gisla looked at her watch impatiently. It was close to 1:00 a.m. Irma had said that the building was open until two, but when did they stop running the elevators up?

Finally, the train got rolling again, and Gisla made it to Penn Station, and nearly ran the three blocks to the Empire State Building. 

 

~~

 

Rollo had been waiting for what seemed like hours. He had hoped that she’d at least have texted him as to whether she was coming or not. But then, she could be angry and not even want to come. After all, he hadn’t contacted her in all those months. He sighed and looked back out at the shining city. Her city, now. 

 

~~

 

Gisla battled the crowds getting off at the subway stop, and raced to the Empire State Building as fast as she could on her impractical heels. There was a crush of people around the entrance to the building, but after many “excuse me’s” and a little pushing, she reached the ticket office.

She paused to catch her breath, then asked breathlessly, “One for the observation deck, please.”

“There isn’t much time, lady. The last elevator will be going up in a minute.”

Gisla hesitated. What if he wasn’t even there anymore? “Do you remember seeing a very tall guy with dark hair pulled back in a man bun? He probably went up a couple of hours ago.”

He laughed. “Lady, I see so many people going up – you’d find a dozen like that on every elevator.” 

“Of course. Sorry to bother you.” She paid for her ticket, and hurried to the elevator. The guy operating it warned everyone that it was the last one up and that the last one down would be leaving in a half hour so they’d have to enjoy their visit quickly. 

Gisla nervously watched the lights in the elevator, hoping this wasn’t a big mistake. Finally, the elevator arrived at the observation deck, and she got out.

The deck was crowded. How would she ever find him in this crush? Gisla wandered around for a little while, thinking that perhaps he’d stand out, being so tall, but it seemed like there were a lot of tall people there that night. 

At last she gave up. It had been a long day and Gisla was exhausted. And her feet hurt – why hadn’t she changed shoes before she came? She managed to find a corner of a bench to sit on, and sank wearily down. Maybe he would find her. 

~~

Rollo had been on the deck for hours and had circled around at least a dozen times. Occasionally he stopped to take a look out over the city. It was a marvel. But it was getting late and the staff was making announcements that the last elevator would be heading down in fifteen minutes. Rollo decided to make one more circle, but it was so crowded that he knew he could miss Gisla in the crush, or because she might be circling too. He sat down to watch people go by, hoping against hope that she had come and would file by. Why didn’t he get her phone number? Or that of the assistant?

At last Rollo had lost hope. He went to the elevator and headed down, depressed. He knew he’d screwed up, and realized that she didn’t really care. And why should she? And it was foolish of him to care – they’d only met that one time and spent one day together. But it was such a wonderful day! He thought they really hit it off and had something potentially special. 

He reached the bottom and started to head out through to the street. As he passed the ticket booth, someone shouted out at him. 

“Hey, you there!” 

Rollo stopped. It was the guy in the ticket booth. “Yeah?”

“Were you meeting a girl up there tonight?”

A spark of hope was lit. “I had hoped to – was she here?”

“Well, a girl described a guy who looks just like you. She said you’d have a ‘man bun.’” The guy shook his head and chuckled.

“Yes! She was here then. About this tall, with long brown hair and pretty eyes?” He held his hand up.

“Brown hair, yeah. She was a real knock-out. Looked real stylish. She went up a little while ago.”

Rollo looked around, desperate. “Can I go back up? I have to find her.”

“She could have left by now. And that was the last elevator up anyway.” 

“Oh, no! Isn’t there some way I could sneak back up there?” Rollo thought desperately. “Wait, how about a tip? I have…” He fumbled through his wallet. “$40. Would that help?”

The operator looked around, obviously wanting to take the money, but not wanting to get into trouble. 

Rollo thought fast. “Look, let’s say I left something really valuable up there – my camera? Surely they’d let me back up to find it, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, here.” The man handed him a ticket with a note scrawled on it. And one of the twenties that Rollo had handed him. “And give the other $20 to Louie in the elevator.”

“Thanks – I owe you – oh, but what if she comes back down?”

“I’ll keep an eye out and see if she’ll wait. It’s the best I can do.”

“Thanks!” Rollo dashed to the elevator, found Louie, and with a surge of excitement, was headed back up. 

 

~~

 

Gisla was so tired that she’d nodded off on her bench. The loudspeaker startled her awake, and she looked up and saw that most of the crowd was gone. There was an announcement that the last elevator down was about to leave. She looked at her watch and realized it was almost 2:00 a.m. He hadn’t come. Or he’d left before she came. She sighed and stood up to make her way to the elevator.

 

~~

 

Rollo was a mass of impatience waiting for the elevator to arrive at the observation deck. Finally the thing landed and the doors slid open. He dashed out, mad to see if he could find her. He looked all around but there was no one. Had he missed the last elevator?

He whirled around to see if he could catch her at the bottom, and bumped into something soft.

“Abruti! Regarde…Rollo?”

It was a woman he’d bumped into. Again. And as she turned to him, he realized it was her. Gisla.

~~

 

She had been about to head down the last elevator when a man in a rush bumped into her. How could he have not seen her? But then, how could she have not seen him? When she looked up, it was into those same warm green eyes that she’d been drawn to so many months ago.

“Oh, sorry…Gisla?” 

 

~~

 

Rollo was so relieved to have found her that he didn’t even think. He gathered her into a huge hug as if they were a couple. At first she embraced him back, perhaps also unthinking. But then she murmured, “ahem,” and he loosened his hold on her. She stepped back.

“I can’t believe it’s you! I was so afraid I’d miss you.” He looked at her hopefully.

 

~~

 

Gisla tried to compose herself. She had been overwhelmed with Rollo’s hug and had forgotten herself. Clearly he was happy to see her, but he still had some explaining to do.

She started to ask, but the elevator operator cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but it’s time to go down.”

Rollo looked at the man as if desperate. “Please, just five minutes up here with her?” He fished around in his pocket for some more money. 

But the elevator guy suddenly got a funny, conspiratorial look on his face and waved him off. “All right, five minutes.” He disappeared around the corner.

Rollo turned back around and offered his arm to Gisla. “Please, let’s go see the view while we still can.”

Gisla just stared at him, her eyes calculating. “Why didn’t you call me all those months? I texted you back after getting the photo, and nothing.”

“I’ll explain it all. Come with me…please?”

She sighed heavily, then took his arm. They walked to the edge of the platform and looked out at the city lights. She had been too busy to come up here since she’d arrived in New York. It was beautiful. But she still had questions. She turned to him. “Well?”

Rollo sighed, then took a breath and began. “So, the day after our wonderful time together in Paris, I went out with my nephews on the river boat. As we came up to the Eiffel Tower, of course they wanted me to take a selfie with them all in it. So I stood there with my arm outstretched–” He demonstrated with his arm “– and took the picture. And then my youngest nephew, in his excitement to see the photo, bumped my arm and the phone dropped right into the water! My phone – with your number – was in the Seine!”

Gisla grimaced. She could imagine the shock of losing one’s phone in a strange place.

“So as soon as we got ashore, I went to find the first store I could that sold cell phones so I could replace mine and try to get my data restored. But they couldn’t even restore my number, let alone my data. I’d have to do this when I got back to the states. I went back to the Eiffel Tower every day as often as I could, hoping to see you there, even though I knew there was little chance of running into you again.”

Gisla shook her head. She hadn’t gone back to the tower in the few days she had left to finish packing for her move to New York.

“So when I got back home, it was more bad news. I could restore most of my data, but the most recent things that had been on my phone were not in the cloud yet, so I lost the photo – and your number.” He shook his head, and Gisla could feel his frustration. “I kept hoping that you’d text me. But I suppose by then you had given up on me.”

“Well, you didn’t answer my texts. So I felt like a fool to keep trying.”

“I know – I’m sorry. But I didn’t give up.” Rollo went on to tell her that he’d been looking for her ever since – though he hadn’t even known her last name. He had read everything he could online about Paris and New York fashion – and learned more than he ever wanted to know about it – but couldn’t find a trace of her. He had even visited New York twice before in the past few months, each time scouring the fashion scene for news of her. He’d begun to think that maybe she hadn’t come after all. 

But finally, he’d heard about Fashion Week and figured she’d have to be there. He had managed to find a program online and scoured it, finally finding a photo – and her name. He’d paid an exorbitant amount to get a ticket to the show, found a florist who’d managed to get the flowers he wanted, watched her show – and was suitably impressed – then waited to see Gisla after the show. 

By the time he finished the story, Gisla was smiling to herself. Irma had been right – it really was romantic. 

 

~~

 

Rollo sighed with relief at Gisla’s smile. She seemed to understand what had happened. And seeing her again had made him feel all the same amazing feelings that he’d had back in Paris. 

But the elevator guy was over there tapping his watch and looking at them expectantly. Rollo was about to go over and beg for five more minutes, but Gisla stopped him, and went over to the guy herself. Rollo watched as she seemed to be bargaining with the guy and suddenly the guy smiled and disappeared again. Rollo wondered what she paid him. 

She came back over to him, smiled that mysterious smile at him, took his arm, and said, “Come on. Let’s see the view properly.”

Rollo didn’t dare ask, but just put his hand over hers, and they walked around the deck seeing the entire city at their leisure. Finally he couldn’t resist asking. “What did you give that guy?” 

“A fifty. And the promise of meeting Cindy Crawford next week. It seems he’s a fan. And I happened to meet her during a shoot with her daughter – she owes me a favor.”

Rollo smiled. They walked around the deck.

Suddenly Gisla stopped. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I could eat a horse.” He hadn’t eaten, on the hope that they would go to dinner after meeting here.

“Well, I don’t know where they serve horse, but I do know a great diner that’s open all night.” 

He laughed. “That sounds great.”

 

~~

 

And so Gisla found herself arm-in-arm with the charming man she’d met in Paris. Louie met them at the elevator with a gleam in his eye, and Gisla felt a warm bubble of elation welling up in her heart as the elevator descended. 

As she and Rollo exited into the night, Gisla knew what Irma would say: that it was an affair to remember.

 

~~

 

[](https://imgur.com/fyggrOF)

 

~~

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: 
> 
> New York Fashion Week takes place in September and February each year. Spring fashions are debuted in the Fall ahead, and Fall fashions are debuted in the Spring. There are women’s fashion weeks and men’s fashion weeks. There are many venues for the events, some of which offer tickets to the public, and some that do not. Of those that do offer tickets, they range in price from very reasonable to exorbitant. My thanks to UnderTheSkyline for researching this information for me. 
> 
> Empire State Building Observation deck – there are actually two observation decks, but to keep things simple I just assumed they’d go for the more famous 86th floor deck that we see in movies. 
> 
> And the movies referred to are: “An Affair to Remember” and “Sleepless in Seattle” (which of course, references “An Affair to Remember”). 
> 
> “Abruti! Regarde…” This is a repeat of what Gisla said in Paris when Rollo bumped into her: “Abruti! Regarde où tu marche! – “Fool! Watch where you’re going!”
> 
> It seems that Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber, is a model who made headlines during New York Fashion Week. I’m supposing that Louie the elevator operator is a little older and would admire Cindy Crawford herself. Which was a lucky guess on Gisla’s part. And the favor she owed Gisla? The hem of her dress let loose just before the shoot, and Gisla, being there for her own shoot, had her needle and thread handy to fix it on the spur of the moment. 
> 
> Bon anniv – abbreviated version of Happy Birthday (Bon anniversaire) in French. Which I got from [this video. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC_HXHVQcUk)
> 
>  
> 
> ~~


End file.
